When I was a young bride, Soapweed, I wanted to ride and help with the cattle. Mr. FH bought me a really good horse because I didn't know much about working cattle. He was a JB King bred gelding that I called Kelly.
The first time I rode him I thought he was too much horse for me, but Mr. FH said he was a good one and I was going to ride him. That horse taught me soooooo much. He knew to be in the right place at the right time. When that happens, soon it is fun to be along helping instead of just being along for the ride. We were working for the man who helped us get our start in the ranching business near Buffalo, Wyoming at the time. Kelly was 10 or 11 years old when we bought him and had been used quite a bit. As time passed, he got stove up and I told the man we worked for that I thought I was going to sell him. He said to me, "Oh, don't sell that horse. I'm just getting so I can quit riding over the hill to pull out my hair."
So you are right on about good old horses being a wonderful teacher.
That Kelly horse taught me sooooooooo much that I'm not sure I would have learned, had I not had him.
And we didn't sell him, had him til the end.